Dresden's famous christmas market, the Striezelmarkt, has been around for centuries. This year, the planned opening was canceled due to the high incidence rate of coronavirus infections in the state of Saxony.

On December 19, 2016, Islamist attacker Anis Amri drove a stolen truck through a crowd in central Berlin, killing and injuring dozens. Five years later, the background to the attack remains unclear.

For this special Christmas edition of Eye on Africa, we've prepared a range of feel-good and culturally significant stories for you to enjoy. Families in Cairo of all religions drop by the city's Christmas market to enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of the annual bazaar.

Apple on Monday became the first company to hit a $3 trillion (roughly Rs. 2,23,75,950 crore) stock market value, before ending the day a hair below that milestone, as investors bet the iPhone maker will keep launching best-selling products as it explores new markets such as automated cars and virtual reality.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.⁣

It's toxic for the environment and also a huge waste of energy. According to recent studies, the oil industry of Nigeria alone flares off 8 billion cubic metres of gas each year.The gas is a by-product of oil production and could be used as energy. But so far, oil companies have avoided making the necessary investments to do that.

Twenty-six people died on Wednesday (February 2) after lightning struck a high-tension power cable on the outskirts of the Congolese capital Kinshasa, causing it to snap and fall on houses and a market, the authorities said. The victims included 24 women and two men, and another two people were seriously injured, Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde told reporters during a visit to the market.

Nigerian civil servant and mother of four Grace Ekang has been having chest pains lately, and when she sneezes, black stains appear on her handkerchief. Inside her house in the Rivers state city of Port Harcourt, Ekang has noticed that the soot gathering on her floor is getting heavier. She and other residents blame this on illegal, makeshift oil refineries scattered across the Niger Delta.

Fears that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent have sent jitters across global stock markets. In Europe, Paris's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX both fell more than 3 percent at midday. Russia's main stock market also saw a sharp decline, adding to last week's sell-off. Plus, after two years grappling with changes to their careers, a growing number of people in France are turning to the real estate sector to start a completely new job.

A viral video circulating on Facebook and Twitter since January 30 claims that "four busloads of illegals" between the ages of 18 and 25 were dropped off in a hotel in the US state of Florida. Is this really the case? Also, was the East German Communist flag erected during this year's Beijing Winter Olympics? We find out in this edition of Truth or Fake.

On Wednesday, fire gutted shops situated under the Apongbon section of the Eko Bridge in Lagos. Now, victims of the inferno are calling on the government to offer any form of assistance to help ease the feeling of hopelessness.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday.